Comets slip past MV 4-3

The Halifax County High School varsity baseball team has improved to 6-1 on the season, and these opportunistic Comets continue to find ways to win games.

The Comets snapped a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the seventh inning Piedmont District action agains Magna Vista Friday.

Andrew McCann sprinted home with the winning run on a passed ball, giving the Comets a 4-3 win.

McCann had doubled to lead off the inning. It was only the third extra base hit of the afternoon for the Comets. Dustin Crews, batting third, lined a single to get McCann to third. McCann then scored on the passed ball.

Comet left-hander Colby Grissom won’t get the win - reliever Chase Wilkerson took over in the top of the seventh with the score tied.

Grissom had a strong outing. He fanned six batters and only allowed two hits in six innings of work. He walked four.

Magna Vista manufactured three runs in the top of the third - three Comet errors in the inning were very costly - and the Warriors led the game heading into the bottom of the inning.

Halifax rallied to tie in the bottom of the third.

McCann had singled and Crews slapped a double, and then Will Harris was hit by a pitch with two out.

Tristan Howerton followed with a clutch two-run double. Harris had advanced to third and later scored on a wild pitch as the Comet second baseman scampered home.

Neither team scored again until the Comets snapped the 3-3 tie in their last at-bat before extra innings.

Grissom’s work on the mound, as much as anything, proved to be important.

“I thought I did pretty good tonight. The defense struggled a little bit. We came out with the W,” said Grissom.

Grissom said his best pitch was his curveball. “I felt pretty good about that. I’ve got to find my fastball, but I’m going to get that straight.

“The team’s playing real good. Keep on doing what we’re doing now, keep on getting the wins, we’ll be good to go for the tournament.”

Meanwhile, McCann, who helped seal an earlier win with a walk-off free pass, was again in the right place at the right time for the Comets.

“I was reading the ball, so I went,” McCann said. McCann saw an opportunity when Magna Vista’s catcher could not handle the pitch.

“Maybe I’m in the right spot at the right time,” said McCann.

Crews, meanwhile, had three hits, including two doubles, and scored once. HCHS finished with 11 hits.

Crews had a critical single that helped set up the game-winning rally in the bottom of the seventh. He said the Comets had to make adjustments to read a slightly slower Magna Vista hurler. “You’ve got to wait back and make adjustments,” he said

Crews got down 0-2 in the count at his last at-bat, before he delivered. “I settled down a little bit. I knew I wanted that hit. I wanted to help my team out,” said Crews.